Code:

BERM.ASC.012

Study year:

2008/2009

Long name:

Advanced Topics in Organization Theory

ECTS:

5

Language:

English

Lecturer(s):

Pursey Heugens, William Felps

Faculty:

RSM Erasmus University

Number of lectures:

Hours per lecture:

Goal:

The goal of this course is to provide students with an advanced working knowledge of organization theory (OT). Upon completion, students should be able to understand the intellectual history of the field and recognize how their own work relates and contributes to OT. Students should also be ready to answer he main questions in OT, such as: Why do firms exist? Why are firms structured as they are? What is the role of myth and ceremony in organizational life? Why do organizations ally with other organizations and how does that matter? How can organizations manage their external dependencies? How does our perspective change when we switch from the organizational to the population level? How must organizations deal with their stakeholders? How does an organization’s identity shape its behavior?

Course contents:

The following topics are covered in this course in 10 consecutive weeks: (1) the subject is organizations (PH); (2) bureaucracy, capitalism, and modernity (PH); (3) agency theory and corporate governance (PH); (4) institutions and organizational fields (PH); (5) task environments and resource dependencies (PH); (6) sources and structures of networks (WF); (7) network outcomes and relational quality (WF); (8) normative organization theory: stakeholders and beyond (WF); (9) behavioral organization theory: garbage cans and the big muddy (WF); (10) organizational culture and identity.

Examination:

The course is organized as a seminar, implying that your cooperation and willingness to actively participate in the sessions will ensure that we jointly create the best possible learning environment. The grading of this course reflects this culture and pedagogy: (a) short quizzes at the beginning of each lecture (50%); and (b) an oral final exam (50%)

Literature:

The literature for this course will consist of carefully selected articles and book chapters. The materials will include seminal OT contributions, as well as more recent exemplary articles. The materials are made available via a dedicated BlackBoard site.

Additional information: